Internal-combustion engine



Jan;- 7, 1930-. w. WHEELER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec. 10.1926 4 Sheets-Sheet l 16 llll 8 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jam 1, 1930. w.WHEEEEE 1,7 2,

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec. 10. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet \2INVENTOR E.

ATTORNEY Jflllw. WHEELER 1,742,228

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec. 10. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 25- VATTORNEY w. WHEELER 1,742,228

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec. 10. 1925 Jan. 7, 1930.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 GE/YEAMToA a. V I I INVENTOR f M 1 A6 45 I BY YATTORNEY Patented Jan. 7, 1930 PATENT OFFICE w pnraiu wHnnLnn, orBROOKLYN, NEW Yomg nTERna -co B sTIon ENGINE Application filed December10, 1926. Serial N0. 153,742.

temperatureef the mixture must be main tained during its passage fromthe carburetor to the intake, to prevent coalescence of the fuel, thedifliculties in the way of introducing a well proportioned mixture ofheavy remained unsolved.

Therefore it is the object of my invention to cause the liquid fuelto besubjected to a relatively high temperature in a passageway between thecarburetor and intake, and to 2. hydrocarbon fuel and air haveheretofore provide in the same passageway a flow path or duct heated ata relatively lower temperature for the travel ofthe mixture of gasifiedfueland air to the intake, said gaseous mix- 9 ture path or duct beingadapted to deliver by gravitation any fuel in liquid form into the morehighly heated passageway, and also being adapted to receive back intothe flowing gaseous mixture the liquid fuel that has become vaporized insaidmore highly heated passageway.

Hence my invention consists, broadly expressed, in subjecting theliquid' fuel alone to a temperature at which it will become vaporized,and as vaporized permitting it to m x with a proportionate volume of airin a path or duct which is heated only to a pointat which the fuel willbe held in agaseous state while flowing to the engine intake. In this 5manner I am enabled to put into the engine a gaseous charge of fullweight for efficient combustion.

Other features and advantages of my invention will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

drying chamber, with its baflles and .to the exhaust manifold.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an engine embodying my improvements.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof, partly in section."

Figure 3 is a side elevation, taken from the side opposite that shown inF igurel.

Figure 4: is an end view, enlarged, partly in section on'the line 14 ofFig. 3.

Figure 5 is a. partial side sectional view of the fuel gasifying chamberwith the mixture passageway extended therethrough,also showing thethree-way control valve.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section of the three-way valve, shown open fordelivery of gasolene and air mixtures.

Figure 7 is a similar view with the valve open for delivery of oil andair mixtures.

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional detail view on the line 8-8 of Figure1, showing the exhaust manifold and its relation to the mixture dryingchamber.

Figure 9 is aplan View of the heating element employed in the fuelgasifying chamber.

Figure 10 is a longitudinal View, showing in vertical section theinterior of the mixture relation Figure 1 1 is a horizontal sectionthrou h the mlxture heatlng chamber and the drying chamber, taken on theline 1111 of Figure 1.

use of gasolene for engine'starting purposes and receiving its supplya's'lfrom a vacuum tank 7. This carburetor communicates dirent with theintake manifold in theusual manner. The other carburetonindicated at aresupplied with heavier liquid fuel as'fro'm a vacuum tank 9,andcommunicates witha mixture heating chamber 10 that is imposed uponthe engine block and extends lengthwise thereof. The passageway betweencarburetor 8 and chamber 10 is here shown at 11 as connecting with oneend of said chamher.

The engine block is provided with the usual threaded orifices for sparkplt gs, and its upper surface has cup-shaped depressions 12 about theseorifices, the chamber 10 having like cup-shaped de lending portions 13that fit within depressions 12.

Instead of fitting spark plugs directly in the threaded orifices as isthe usual practice. I it therein the hollow devices l t which I callspark plug chambers, said devices having the lower tubular neck portion15 to fit in the spark plug orifices 15 and the upper tubular portion 16that is interiorly threaded to receive a spark plug 17. The tubularportion 16 is also exteriorly threaded to engage a threaded opening in acover plate 16 that closes an opening 10 in the top of chamber 10 ofsufiieient sizefor the introduction and removal of the spark plugchamber. The intermediate portion of the device 14 is radially enlargedand its upper surface has an annular trough formation 18. The troughs 18and cups 13 are intended to collect fuel that deposits therein in aliquid state, so that such fuel may become gasitied through the heatgenerated in the spark plugchambers. Also a resistance wire 19, carriedby an insulation member 20 that is supported within a spark plug chambermay be energized by a source of electrical energy forming part of theengine equipment (not herein illustrated) to supply heat for vaporizingthe collected oil in trough 1.8.

The spark plug chambers 14, which receive the gaseous charges ofcompressed fuel mixture for ignition generate great heat that.

within these chambers promotes combustion and facilitates flamepropagation throughout the combustion chambers. But as these chambers 14extend into the mixture heating chamber 10 they are subjected to theinfluence of the cool air that is drawn in from the carburetor andpasses contactingly over them in its passage, whereby a desirable heatexchange is effected between said chambers and passing stream of fueland air mixture, serving to reduce the temperature of the chambers whilechamber 10 before entering chamber 21. The drying chamber is suppliedwith heat from the exhaust manifold. As a convenient and desirable meansof applying heat from the exhaust to chamber 21 I provide said chamherwith the transverse sleeves 22, into which are fitted the tubularextensions 23 of the exhaust manifold these extensions 23 havingabuttitng relation with manifold pipe sections 23'; suitable packing 24serving to seal the joints. LugsQG formed at the sides of the sleeves 22are provided with holes 27 for the reception'of bolts which are used tosecure the drying chamber 2]. and heating chamber 10 together and to themanifold.

The drying chamber is provided with bafflcs 29,-here shown as extendedupwards from the sleeves 22 toward but in spaced relation from the topof said chamber. Now it will be noted that whereas the inlet 22 to thedrying chamber, located at one end of said chamber, is in a plane abovethe tops of the baffies, the exit from chamber 21 indicated at 30 aslocated at the other end of said chamber, i disposed in a plane belowthe tops of the baflles. The reason for this arrangement as follows: Itis intended that the fuel which remains in suspension shall flow withthe air in a nearly direct path from inlet 22 to outlet 30, while theheavier fuel particles may be caught by the baffles and if suliicientlyliquid will flow downwardly toward the sleeves 22. As the sleeves becomehighly heated by the exhaust manifold and communicate some of their heatto the bailies it is evident that any liquefied fuel contactingtherewith will become gasified and again enter the stratum of fuelmixture flowing toward outlet 30. Said outlet 30 communicates with apipe or conduit 31 which extends to and communicates with a valve thatcontrols the admission of fuel mixture into the intake manifold. In thedrawings this valve is shown as a three-way valve 32 with controlconnection 32, adapted to open communication to the intake manifold bothfrom the gasolene carburetor 6 and from the conduit 31, but serving toclose one of these supply sources while the other is open. Conduit 31 isshown as enclosed in a boxlike structure 33 that is rectangular incross-section, the sides of the box fitting snugly against said conduit,but the top and bottom of the box being spaced from the upper and lowersurfaces respectively of the conduit, thereby providing the clearances34, 35. The upper portion of the conduit is pierced with apertures 36,and its lower portion is pierced with apertures 37. Now it will beapparent that any fuel in a liquid state entering the conduit 31 alongwith the flowing gaseous mixture, or forming therein due to coalescenceof fuel particles,-will pass by gravitation through the apertures 87into the clearance 35, so that no fuel in liquid form will enter theintake manifold. But the liquid fuel falling fore I provide heatingmeans in the clearance 35 suited to gasify the liquid fuel pass- 3 ingthereinto. As shown I provide for this purpose a resistance wire 38carried by an insulation member 39 which is suitably support-ed upon thebase of box 33, the terminals of said resistance wire being suitablyincluded in an electrical circuit (not shown). The fuel thus gasified inclearance 35 is drawn into conduit 31 under the influence of the suctionpull of the engine, a curved pipe 40 being here shown as extended fromclearance 35, through the lower portion of conduit 31 and having anissuance nozzle lying in the path of the streamof gaseous mixtureflowing toward the engine intake.

The upper clearance 34 is shown as provided with an air inlet 41,controlled by a valve 42 which is held normally closed by means of aspring 4.3. The stem 44 of this valve lies in the down path of anarmature 45, pivoted to a bracket 46 mounted on box 33, with adjustmentmeans 41-7, said armature being actuable by an electro-magnet that isincluded in a circuit (not shown), said armature when actuated servingto depress the stem 1 1 and thereby to open thevalve. By means ofthisvalve auxiliary air may be admitted to clearance 34 through inlet 41 andthence will be drawn into the conduit 31 through apertures 36 under theaspiratory pull of the engine.

From the foregoing description of parts and their functions it will beappreciated that I, realizing the differences in temperatures neededforgasifying heavy liquid hydrocarbon fuel and for holding together amixture of air and gas generated from such fuel, have providedpassageways for the mixture which are subjected to heat that isinsufficient in temperature to effect an undue attenuation of the air mthe mixture, and other passageways for the fuel while it is in a liquidstate,

said other passageways being subjected to heat at a temperature adaptedto convert such liquid fuel into a gaseous state. Further, as

will also be noted, liquid fuel that becomes fied in clearance 35 thenpasses into the mixture flowing through the conduit 31.

Variations within the spirit and scope of my invention are equallycomprehended by the foregolng disclosure:

I claim: 1. An internal combustlon engine adapted for the combustion ofrelatively heavy hydrocarbon fuel, said engine having an intake manifoldand a passageway directing a fiow ing stream of fuel and air mixture tosaid manifold, a mixture heating chamber included in said passageway,and spark plug chambers located in said heating chamber to effect a heatexchange therewith 2. An internal combustion engine adapted for thecombustion of relatively heavy hydrocarbon fuel, said engine having anintake manifold and a passageway directing aflowing stream of fuel andair mixture to Silld manifold, a mixture heating chamber in cluded insaid passageway, spark plug chambers located in said heating chamber toeffect a heat exchange therewith, and troughs in said heating chamber tocollect liquid fuel leaving the flowing mixture stream, said fuel beinggasified by electrical heating means.

3. An internal combustion engine adapted for the combustion ofrelatively heavy hydrocarbon fuel, said engine having an intake manifoldand a passageway directing a flowing stream of fuel and air mixture tosaid manifold, a mixture heating chamber in-' to gasify the fuel by theheat generated within said spark plug chambers. i

4. An internal combustion engine adapted for the combustion ofrelatively heavy hydrocarbon fuel, said engine having an intake manifoldand a passageway directing a flowing stream of fuel and air mixture tosaid intake manifold, a drying chamber, a fuel gasifying chamber incommunication with said drying chamber, electrical heating meansprovided at the base of said chamber, a duct included in said passagewayand extended through said gasifying chamber, said duct provided withapertures for the gravity delivery of liquefied fuel into said gasifyingchamber, and means for conveying gasified fuel from said chamber intothe stream of mixture flowing through the duct.

5. An internal combustion engine adapted for the combustion ofrelatively heavy hydrocarbon fuel, said engine having an intake manifoldand a passageway directing a flowing stream of fuel and air mixture tosaid manifold, a mixture heating chamber in cluded in said passageway,spark plug-chambers located in said heating chamber to effect a heatexchange therewith and heating means associated with said chambers forgasifying the fuel in said heating chamber.

6. An internal combustion engine adapted for the combustion ofrelatively heavy hydrocarbon fuel, said engine having an intake manifoldand a passageway directing a flowing stream of fuel and air mixture tosaid manifold, a mixture heating chamber included in said passageway,spark plug chambers located in said heating chamber to effect a heatexchange therewith, an auxiliary air chamber, means of communicationbetween said passageway and chamber, said auxiliary air chamber havingan inlet and controlled means to regulate the supply of air through saidinlet.

New York, December 9th, 1926.

WVILLIAM WHEELER.

